a reason to celebrate
by 59katie
Summary: After Alex recovers her memory she and Walker deal with the man who falsely claimed that she Alex was his wife. Gage comes to town


A Reason to Celebrate by Katie 59

Chapter One

Gordan warily entered his daughter's ranch house not knowing what to expect because when he had relucantly dropped Alex off a short distance from the ranch house yesterday evening she had told him that she was going to go back to the ranch and settle things with her husband, for once and for all. When Gordan had asked her what that meant Alex had told him that most likely he would be representing her in a divorce suit. Since he had his grandchildren with him Gordan called out in warning " Alex honey I'm here with the children." Alex entered the hallway and told Beth " Honey please go upstairs and tell your father that you're here and that he should be leaving for work. I'll drop you off at the bus stop when it's time for you to leave." After Beth went upstairs Gordan handed Alex her son Little Cord as he questioned her " Are you okay Alex? Do you want me to do anything for you?"  
Smiling at her baby boy Alex answered " I'm just fine Dad but if you don't mind I want you to tell Miss Mueller that her sick little scheme didn't work. As a matter of fact tell her that she had better pray that I don't get my hands on her. Because if I do, it's not going to be pretty let me tell you that." Not knowing what his daughter was talking about Gordan didn't say anything but Walker who had come back downstairs to overhear what Alex had said about Miss Mueller asked his wife " Alex haven't we had this discussion before? How many times do I have to tell you that you can't go around hitting people?"  
Alex kissed him on the cheek as she answered " A lot because I'm just as stubborn as my hard-headed husband is. See you after work cowboy." Walker kissed her back then after winking at Alex left the house for work.  
Gordan then said " Alex are you or are you not divorcing Walker? I mean when I dropped you off yesterday evening you sure gave me that impression. You were really upset with him and all but told me that you were going to end your marriage."  
" No Dad. I am not going to divorce my handsome husband, not now, not ever. I know that you don't know what's going on but right now all you need to know is that with Walker's help my memory came back last night. Listen if you have the time can you stay after breakfast? I need to explain things to you after I drop Beth off at her school bus stop. She doesn't need to hear what I have to tell you." Alex said to her father who told her that he would stay for as long as his daughter needed him to.  
Later on after she had dropped Beth off at the school bus stop Alex returned to the house and explained to her father " About Miss Mueller she was hitting on Walker while leading me to believe that the two of them were having an affair. She told me to look around and that I would find some underwear that wasn't mine and I did, in the bedroom that Walker was sleeping in. She also told me that Walker hadn't bothered searching for me because he didn't love me. That he was having an affair that started before I went missing. Dad you have to understand that I was so upset last night because I believed her lies about Walker being unfaithful to me. After you dropped me off I came back here and I went into Walker's bedroom to think while he was working out in the basement. After he came up from the basement Mueller who had just come into the house starting hitting on Walker while at the same time trying to get him to believe that I had been faking my amnesia. He didn't know that I was here. Walker rejected her advances and told her that I would never ever betray my wedding vows and neither would he. She kept trying to get him interested in her even going so far as to tell him that I was willingly living with McKee. That woman was lying to the both of us in the hopes that she would destroy our marraige. Thank god neither one of us let her succeed. Dad I swear that I wasn't willingly living with that man. That scum told me that I was his wife and without my memory I had no reason to believe otherwise. I didn't want to go to his house but the hospital staff told me that either I go home with him or I end up on the streets. Either way they were discharging me. About Miss Mueller to make a long story short Walker ended up tossing her out the door but before I could tell him that I was here Trivette showed up. I got Jimmie to leave by telling him that Walker and I really needed to talk. After awhile my memory came back, thanks to my wonderful husband."  
" Alex I don't understand. What did Walker do or say to help you recover your memory? And whatever it was couldn't he have done it sooner?" Gordan asked his daughter who turned a little red as she answered " No he couldn't have done it sooner because I wouldn't have let him... well do it sooner. Dad please don't ever ask me that question again. Just be pleased that I recovered my memory because I sure am."  
At Ranger headquarters Walker spotted a smirking Trivette and warned him " I had better not hear a word from you about last night." Trivette grinned " Not a word, I promise but Walker does Alex have all her memory back? Or just some of it? I mean she must some of it if she and you...uhm...you know."  
" Yes Alex has all of her memory back. Now drop it Trivette." Walker replied getting a little red in the face. Seeing that Trivette was tempted to tease Walker but decided not to mainly because he liked breathing. Captain Harland came into the room and said " Okay let's get started. Walker, you and Trivette are going to be helping out the F.B.I. with a sting operation. Agent Olstead and A.D.A. Holland will brief the two of you in the conference room. The rest of you have cases to solve, I believe."  
Walker and Trivette went into the conference room where Holland said to them " Rangers Walker and Trivette this sting operation consists of finding out who is leaking classified information about the bureau's undercover operations to the criminal element. The governor was approached by the F.B.I. and he suggested that the Texas Rangers try to find out who's doing it. Agent Olstead can explain to the two of you what's expected of you."  
Olstead took over " In light of the leaks the F.B.I. has agreed to a joint operation with the Texas Rangers and has instituted a pilot program in which two Rangers, along with a member of a police department are assigned to the local field office to study F.B.I. techniques. At the F.B.I.'s request you two were choosen for the assignment. We know that the leaks are most likely coming from this branch of the F.B.I. since most of the undercover operations are run through this field office. Once you're assigned to the field office as part of the pilot program we need you to be on the lookout for who ever is doing this. Gentlemen since this is a operation involves a great deal of risk you don't have to take the assignment. The police officer from Houston, who's name is Francis Gage by the way has already agreed to help us out. So the question remains are you two willing to help us out?"  
Walker questioned him " When do we start?" Olstead answered " Next week. It will take that much time to get the paperwork done. Thank you gentlemen." Trivette then asked " Will we be meeting Gage ahead of time?" " Gage will arrive in town the day after tomorrow and you can meet with him then if you'd like. Now I really must be going." Olstead replied then left.

Chapter Two

Walker and Trivette met Gage at the airport and when they were getting into Walker's truck Gage asked them " Do either of you know where I can rent a furnished room until after this assignment is over with? I don't have the money to rent an apartment. Not when I'm going to be returning to Houston just as soon as this assignment is over." Trivette answered " I don't know of any cheap rooms for rent but maybe Walker will let you stay at the cabin that's on his property. How about it Walker?"  
Walker said " Yes Trivette, Gage can stay at my cabin." Trivette then suggested " Hey how about we go to C.D.'s and get something to eat? Didn't you say something about wanting to meet Alex there for lunch Walker?" Walker agreed to the suggestion and they went to C.D.'s where after they entered the bar Walker went to the men's room while Trivette introduced Gage to C.D. who said " Nice to meet you Gage. Jimmie, Alex should be here shortly. Why don't you and Gage go sit down while you're waiting to order?" After they were seated Gage questioned Trivette " Who's this Alex that we're meeting? Is he going to be a part of the operation?"  
Trivette laughed then answered " No. Alex is Walker's wife. Her name is Alexandra Cahill-Walker but everyone calls her Alex and Francis maybe you shouldn't make assumptions about people's names." Gage replied " I guess you have a point there Trivette." Gage then looked around the place and spotting a woman just entering the bar said " What's she doing here?"  
" What's who doing here?" Trivette asked Gage who got up from his seat and went to the person he had been talking about. Grabbing Alex's arm Gage demanded " What are you doing here Dani? Does Dwight know that you're here? How did you get to Dallas?" Before he could get an answer to any of his questions Gage was tossed to the floor by Walker who snapped at him " If you ever grab my wife like that again I will break your neck. Are we clear on that Officer Gage?"  
Slowly getting up from the floor Gage said to Walker " I don't understand. When I was visiting Agent McKee at his house he told me that she was his wife and that he had just recently found her again. He told me that she suffers from bouts of memory loss due to a traumatic brain injury and that when that happens she takes off and he has to go find her again. If she's married to him why is she here as your wife? This doesn't make any sense to me."  
" Alex is my wife not that bastard's." Walker replied and then went over to a booth where Alex had already seated herself besides Trivette. Gage followed Walker over to the booth where he said " Look Mrs. Walker I didn't mean to upset you but I really thought that you were Dani McKee and that you had another bout of memory loss. I was just trying to help Dwight out. I'm sorry."  
Alex told him " I understand that you thought you were doing the right thing but you weren't, now were you? As for McKee I am not his wife nor was I ever his wife. His saying that I was is a long story that I would prefer to forget about for now." Gage nodded okay then asked " I guess this means that I can't stay at your cabin now Ranger Walker?" Walker answered him " I gave you my word which I'll keep but I need to know everything that you know about Federal Agent McKee, start talking." Alex interjected " Walker can't that wait until this evening? Right now I don't want to think about that man right before I go to my meeting with D.A. Moody who is replacing Clark." Walker nodded okay as C.D. who had come to the booth said " Alex honey the doc said that you were fine and that should be good enough for D.A. Moody. With your track record he'd be a fool not to hire you. Alex everything will turn out the way that it was meant to. You mark my words, you will be back to putting criminals behind bars in no time at all."  
Alex smiled and changed the subject. After they were done eating Alex said to Officer Gage " Officer Gage would you mind dropping by the house later? We really do need to have a talk about some things." Gage replied " Yes I will Mrs. Walker. If that's okay with Mr. Walker."  
Alex replied " Most people call me Alex. Why don't you just have Walker bring you to the ranch when he comes home from work? It makes sense since Walker just said that you're going to be staying at our cabin." Alex then changed subject by telling her husband " I'll call you later and let you know what happens, okay?"  
Walker got up from the booth as he said " I'll walk you to the minivan." After they left Trivette told Gage " I think that you should know that Alex went missing a while back in San Antonio and everyone thought that she was dead. Hell we even buried someone as her. It was at that time McKee got his hands on her by going to the hospital and claiming that she was his wife and Alex couldn't refute that because she had amnesia then. After McKee went on an assignment Alex fled his house. Eventually Alex and Walker ran into each other and she returned home where she just recently recovered her memory. And drop the Mr. Walker stuff will you? He's just plain old Walker. Now me on the other hand you may refer to as Ranger Trivette." Gage laughed along with Trivette.  
Walker came back into the bar and Trivette glanced at his watch then said " Hey we'd better get back to Ranger headquarters and that meeting with Holland and Olstead."  
At the meeting Olstead told them that the paperwork for Gage had run into some red tape and because of that he was no longer part of the operation. Olstead then told Gage that maybe he should just go back to Houston. Gage replied that he had planned on doing some sight-seeing when he was in Dallas. Trivette quickly suggested that Holland if he had the time take Gage to C.D.'s so that Gage could get started on his sight-seeing. Holland realizing that Trivette for some reason wanted Gage to stay in town agreed to drop Gage off at C.D.'s. After Gage left the conference room Olstead then told Walker and Trivette that their paperwork was going smoothly and that they would be on loan to the F.B.I. two days from then. They then went to C.D.'s where Walker picked up Gage and Trivette found a pretty lady to try and charm into a date.  
In Walker's truck Gage tried to apologize " I'm really sorry that I grabbed your wife by her arm but like I said I thought that she was someone else." Walker replied in a no nonsense tone of voice " Drop it Gage." Gage dropped the subject.

Chapter Three

Walker led Gage into the ranch house and told him " Put your stuff in that room there." After Gage did that Walker went into the living room where Alex was playing with her son while her daughter was playing with her dolls. Spotting her husband Alex said to him " Hi cowboy dinner will be done in about an hour. Beth has been asking to ride her horse and I can't take her because of our son. So would you mind doing it?" Walker replied " Just for a short ride Beth." Alex then somewhat formally asked " Officer Gage would you like to go for a ride with them?"  
Gage refused saying " No thank you. I'd rather stay here if that's okay with Ranger Walker." Walker answered him " It's okay but you are not to bring up what happened at C.D.'s earlier. Got that?" Gage agreed and Walker left the house with his daughter. A few minutes later Alex said to Gage " I need to check on dinner. Would you mind keeping an eye on Little Cord for me?"  
Gage looked at the baby as he answered " Sure thing but if you don't mind me asking, how come your daughter looks so much different than your son?" Alex instead of answering the question asked one of her own " Do you have a problem with the way Beth looks? Because if you do you had better walk right out that door this minute. Neither Walker or I will put up with anyone who behaves in that manner."  
" I don't have a problem with the way that she looks. I was just wondering why they looked so different is all. I didn't mean to offend you and I sure didn't mean to offend Ranger Walker. Lord knows that I don't want him throwing me to the floor again. I have never seen anyone move that quickly and that quietly. From the look in his eyes I thought that he was going to kill me or something." Gage answered.  
" Walker doesn't allow anyone to hurt a member of his family and you had just grabbed me by the arm. About Beth she is Walker's biological daughter just like Little Cord is his biological son. Walker is part Cherokee and Beth got her looks from her grandfather John Firewalker. Now our son on the other hand got both of our looks and unfortunatedly at times our stubborness." Alex responded then went into the kitchen to check up on dinner.  
After they had the children in bed Walker and Alex met Gage in the living where Walker asked him " Gage what all do you know about McKee?"  
" I was at his house because a buddy of mine by the name of Murphy once told me that if anything ever happened to him that I should go to McKee's house and let him know. My friend was killed during a undercover drug operation somewhere in or around San Antonio and I went to McKee's house as Murphy had told me to do. When I was there Mrs. Walker came up to me and begged me to help her get out of there. McKee told her that she had better be quiet and to behave herself unless she wanted him to take care of her. He then explained to me that she had memory problems that were related to her traumatic brain injury. I then explained to him that my friend Murphy had died on a undercover drug operation and that he had wanted me to let McKee know if anything happened to him. McKee told me that I had wasted my time making the trip to his house because he didn't know my friend and had no idea why he wanted McKee to know of his death." Gage told them then he added " I'm truly sorry that I didn't help you then Mrs. Walker but I thought that maybe you were just trying to upset him or something. I mean you didn't say anything else to me about getting out of there."  
Alex snapped at him " What I was trying to do Officer Gage was to escape from a man who had just beaten me. How could you have seen the bruises on my face and done nothing? What kind of Police Officer are you anyway?"  
Gage answered " After you went into the bathroom to freshen up he told me that the bruises on your face were from a man you had picked up in a bar. McKee told me that every time you took off you went to a bar and picked up a man who liked to be rough with you."  
Alex looked at Walker then informed him " I'm going to bed. You deal with Officer Gage." After Alex left the room Gage said " I'll get my things and go but I think that you should know it was McKee who arranged for me to be assigned to the F.B.I. with the pair of Texas Rangers from Dallas."  
Walker asked him " How do you know that Gage?"  
" After he said that he hadn't known my friend I told McKee that I would like nothing better than to get my hands on the person who had to be leaking information about undercover operations. I mean how else would my friend's cover had been blown? The F.B.I. were the only ones who knew he was undercover. McKee told me that he could arrange it so that I would be assigned to the Dallas branch of the F.B.I. along with the two Texas Rangers in order to find out who was leaking the information about undercover operations. I said that I would like that and he told me that he would be in touch with me. When I was assigned to this case he was the one who called me and told me about it. McKee then told me that his wife had run off yet again and that he hadn't found her yet so if I were to run across her would I please let him know. Ranger Walker I can't tell you how sorry that I am that I didn't help Mrs. Walker that day. Even if what McKee was saying were true there was no excuse for me to have turned my back on a woman with bruises on her face and who had just pleaded with me to help her."  
" Yes you should have helped her Gage. The next time you come across a situation like that you'd better help the woman. Don't just stand there and take the man's word for what had happened. Got that? Gage about McKee did he know that Trivette and I were the Rangers assigned to help out the F.B.I.?" Walker asked Gage who answered " He said something about the local head of the F.B.I. getting to pick the two Texas Rangers for the assignment and the way McKee said it he wasn't too happy about it. Another thing Walker, McKee mentioned that just maybe he would come up to Dallas to see how I was doing."  
" Is that so? Listen Gage since you don't want to return to Houston just yet I want you to stick around here and keep an eye on Alex while I'm at work for the next several days until she returns to work herself. Can you do that? You'll stay here in our house." Walker said.  
" If she'll allow me to I will. I need to make up for not helping her when she asked me to." Gage said to Walker who nodded okay. After Walker had locked up he went upstairs to his bedroom where Alex questioned him " Is Officer Gage still here?"  
" Yes he is and he's going to stay for a few days to keep an eye on you in case McKee shows up and tries anything. McKee was the one who arranged for Gage to be assigned to the local F.B.I. office then the paperwork was delayed resulting in Olstead telling Gage that he was no longer assigned to the case. Since Gage knows what McKee looks like I want him to stay here at the ranch until you return to work. Alex are you okay?" " What kind of question is that? An police officer who couldn't be bothered to help a beaten woman is staying in my house against my wishes and you ask me if I'm okay? No I'm not okay and you should already know that. And whatever happened to you taking care of McKee for what he did to me?" A very upset Alex answered her husband who pulled her close as he said to her " Alex I will take care of McKee you have my word. As to Gage yes he was wrong not to have helped you when you asked him to do but he was also the police officer who helped me out when I was being framed for Feathersten's death. Give him a chance to make things right, okay?"  
" Okay but McKee had better not get anywhere near me. Have you got that Cordell?" Alex asked trying not to be so upset but Walker picked up on the fact that she was still very upset and vowed to her " That scum gets anywhere near you and he's a dead man."  
Several hours later Walker was awaken by Alex crying out in her sleep " Please no more. I'm sorry. Please don't hit me again." Walker turned on his lamp and said to her " Alex, honey, it's okay. You're here with me. He can't get you." Alex woke up and grabbed Walker as she said to him " Please show me that I'm safe in your arms. I need you so much Cordell." Walker after making sure that Alex knew what she was doing showed her that she was safe in his arms.

Chapter Four

Walker and Trivette were in another meeting with Olstead when he told them " Gentlemen there has been a change in plans. Instead of the two of you being assigned to the F.B.I. office here you are now going to be assigned to the Houston office. Officer Gage who I understand has remained in town will be assigned to this branch of the F.B.I. after all. Walker we know that Gage has been staying at your house so can you tell him to report to this office later today so that we can arrange a hotel room for him while he's on assignment? Any questions?" Trivette asked " What do you mean we are going to be assigned to the Houston office? Who's idea was this by the way?"  
Olstead answered " I'm not at liberty to disclose that information at this moment." Trivette got up from his chair as he said " Well I'm not at liberty to go to Houston right now or any time soon. See you around Olstead." Olstead turned to Walker who ignored him and left the conference room. At Ranger headquarters Harland called the both of them into his office and after they closed the door questioned them " Can you tell me why my best Rangers have refused an assignment after saying that they would take it? What were the two of you thinking when you told Olstead that you weren't going to Houston any time soon?"  
Trivette replied " Captain Harland I am willing to go to Houston but I don't think that Walker should be going right now. Now before you say anything while Alex was missing a man by the name of Dwight McKee told the hospital staff that she was his wife Danilee McKee, which wasn't true. He took her to his home where he beat her. As soon as he left his house Alex fled it. Now this McKee is a federal agent and he was the one who got Gage assigned here and then delayed the paperwork so that it appeared that Gage was dropped from the operation. Gage told Walker the other night that McKee was planning on dropping in on him while he was here and I find it highly suspicious that all of a sudden Walker and I are to be assigned to the Houston office while Gage is to stay here. That leaves McKee with the perfect opportunity to come after Alex while her husband is out of town."  
" If what you're saying is true Trivette and the two of you refuse to go to Houston McKee won't come after A.D.A. Cahill-Walker here and where does that leave us? What I'm saying is that you two need to find a way to prove what you're saying about McKee is true. Otherwise the two of you are most certainly going to Houston. Have you fogotten that there are still agents at risk because someone is leaking details about undercover drug operations? So what's your plan? You do have a plan, don't you?" Harland pointedly said to them.  
Walker replied " We'll let you know later Captain Harland. Come on Trivette we'd better get started on that plan." After leaving Harland's office Trivette asked his partner " Well what is our plan?"  
Walker answered him " Our plan is to somehow have the two of us appear to go to Houston while I stay here to protect my family. Also Gage has to report in with the F.B.I. so he can't stay at the ranch anymore and help keep an eye on Alex. Any ideas?"  
" Get a stand in for you that's all that I can think of." Trivette replied in jest but Walker told him " You may be onto something there Trivette." After meeting with Walker and Trivette at C.D.'s Gage went to his meeting with Olstead. Walker and Trivette then set about arranging a stand-in for Walker. At the meeting Olstead questioned Gage " Officer Gage I understand that you had been staying at Walker's ranch. I heard that his wife had amnesia or something like that. Has she remembered anything yet?"  
Gage replied " It's kind of weird. She remembers her life but she doesn't remember anything that happened when she was missing. It's like once she remembered the rest of her life her brain just forgot all about the time she was missing." Olstead then changed the subject by saying " Can you tell me what it's like to stay out there in the middle of nowhere? It must be very quiet compared to living in the city. I've always wanted to live out in the country but my job demands that I live in the city."  
Gage answered him " Way too isolated there's nothing around but cows and more cows. Heck the nearest neighbor is at least a ten minute drive. I guess that Walker likes it there but I prefer a city myself. I stayed out there because Walker sort of insisted on it because I helped him out in Houston during the Feathersten case and you don't say no to a man like Walker. Now about my assignment what two Texas Rangers am I going to work with?"  
" We're bringing in a pair from Austin. They're be coming here along with McKee whom I believed that you met once." Olstead replied. " Yes I met him because my friend told me to go to his house if anything were to happen to him. But it was a waste of time because McKee had no idea why Murphy wanted me to go see him." Gage said to Olstead.  
At Walker's ranch Trivette and Walker were studying Walker's 'stand-in' when Trivette said " The beard looks okay but his eyes are too light, other that he can pass for you." Alex told them " He also needs to walk with a commanding air about him like Walker does."  
" I can get him contacts and what do you mean walk with a commanding air like Walker does? My partner walks just like any other man." Trivette objected so Alex said " Jimmie my husband walks like he expects to be obeyed and let's face it most of the time he is. And the times he isn't Walker can always take care of the offender with a well placed kick or punch. Now Kevin try walking like you know that you can take care of anything that happens." Kevin walked around but Alex quickly said " No you're strutting. You have to be lighter on your feet too. Walker show him how you walk."  
Walker objected this time " Alex do we really have to go through all of this? Trivette is the only one who's going to know that Kevin isn't me." Alex threw up her hands as she answered " All right, all right, have it your way then. Kevin just walk like you always do and by the way if my husband hasn't thanked you for helping us out I will."  
" I'm glad to be of help Mrs. Walker." Kevin replied and Trivette said " Relax Alex, will you? Kevin is going to be with me at all times and Walker will be here with you. What can possibly go wrong?"

Chapter Five

Walker and Alex were in their living room relaxing after they had the children asleep and Alex brought up something in their plans that was bothering her " Walker, if I understand your's and Trivette's plan correctly you are going to be posing as a ranch hand. If you do that how are you going to be able to keep an eye on me while I'm at work? If McKee is going to do something to me, wouldn't he be more likely to do it when the opportunity presents itself? I mean he's going to be dropping in on Gage while he's assigned to the F.B.I. and their branch office isn't that far from where I work at. Wouldn't that be a perfect time for him to try something instead of him waiting to get me out here?"  
" I doubt that he would try something in front of everyone but since you're worried about him doing exactly that you should know that I will be close by in case anything happens. Alex trust me on this. McKee will not hurt you again. And when I do get my hands on him he will pay for what he did to you before." Walker assured Alex who nodded okay then said " I don't know about you cowboy but I think it's time to turn in."  
Walker protested " Alex it's only nine o'clock at night. We don't need to turn in yet, do we?" Alex smiled as she started undoing her blouse buttons and after she removed the blouse Alex dropped it on the floor and said " I know that it's only nine o'clock at night but I wasn't planning on going to sleep for a couple more hours yet but I was planning on being in bed with you until then. However if you really don't want to go to bed right now I guess that I can always keep the bed warm until you're tired. Good night dear." Alex then left the living room. Walker just shook his head at her less than subtle attempt to intice him into going to bed early but he also got up and followed his wife to their bedroom.  
Trivette entered the F.B.I. headquarters in Houston and told the clerk " Rangers Trivette and Walker reporting in." The pair was directed to Special Agent Farley who then gave them a tour of the office, after that he showed them to a desk. Farley then said to them " We really don't know what the two of you are supposed to be doing because no one left instructions on what you two were going to do."  
Trivette answered " Look all we know is that we were supposed to be assigned to the Dallas Field office for a pilot program and the next thing we know we're getting assigned to be here today and a pair of Rangers from Austin get assigned to the Dallas office. If you ask me the F.B.I. has a very strange way of doing things." Farley replied " It doesn't make any sense to me either so if you gentlemen will have a seat, I'l check the computer to see why the assignments were changed at the last minute."  
After a few minutes Farley told them " You two aren't supposed to be here at all, somehow there was a mixup and your names were subsituted for the two Texas Rangers from Austin who were supposed to be assigned here. As a matter of fact they are going to be arriving here in two days so that means the two of you can go back home."  
Gage reported in at nine for his assignment to the F.B.I. and Olstead said to him " Officer Gage, Holland said that he wanted to meet with you at the D.A.'s office this morning, you have to be there at ten. Apparently Holland needs some information from you for this assignment." Gage said okay and went to the D.A.'s office where he was directed to have a seat and that someone would be with him shortly. As he was waiting for Holland Gage heard a man ask him " Officer Gage is that you?"  
Gage turned around to see Dwight McKee standing there so he said " Yes, it's me and thanks for making this assignment possible. By the way I stayed out at the Walker's ranch for a couple of days and his wife who had just returned from being missing was there and boy let me tell you she looks an a lot like your wife Dani. Are the two of them long lost twins or something?" McKee said " As far as I know my wife was an only child but enough about her. I'm more interested in what you've been up to. Is there a place where we can get some lunch?" Gage answered " How about we eat at C.D.'s? It's near here and a lot of Rangers and court personel eat there. Maybe Mrs. Walker will be there too and you'll see what I mean about her being your wife's long lost twin, or something like that." McKee agreed to eat lunch at C.D.'s.  
Alex looked around one last time before entering C.D.'s and was disappointed when he couldn't spot her husband anywhere. As she was eating Gage came into the place with McKee. Alex steeled herself and didn't react when Gage brought McKee to where she was sitting. Gage said " Mrs. Walker I'm sorry to intrude but Agent McKee was struck by me telling him how much you look like his wife Dani and wanted to meet you to see for himself."  
McKee smirked at Alex who said " Nice to meet you Agent McKee." McKee then told her " You really do look like my Dani. Maybe you can come to my house and replace her. She's always running off because of that brain injury she got in a car wreck. Every time I get her back I have to set the ground rules again and let me tell you that's getting a little tiring. I'll bet you know how to behave yourself. What with being married to a Texas Ranger. I'll bet he knows how to lay down the law."  
Alex got up from the table and told them " I have to get back to court." McKee then suggested " Hey I'd like to see you in action. Mind if I tag along? I can drive you there. My rental car is right outside. Gage you can get yourself a ride back. Can't you?" Gage replied " I guess I can but maybe Mrs. Walker doesn't want to be bothered while she's in court."  
" Nonsense. A woman like her wants to show what's she's made of. Isn't that so Mrs. Walker?" McKee said causing Alex to tell him " I don't need to show what I'm made of and besides I have my minivan outside so I don't need a ride but thanks for offering. However if you want to follow me to court who am I to stop you." McKee followed her outside to the back of C.D.'s where Alex's minivan was parked. He again attempted to talk her into taking a ride from him but Alex rebuffed him by saying " Look I think that you have something more in mind that watching me in the courtroom so let me make this clear to you, I am not interested. Now please leave me alone."  
In a heartbeat McKee's temperment changed and he grabbed a hold of Alex's arm as he snarled at her " It doesn't matter what you do or don't want Dani. All that matters is what I want and that's you back in my home. And don't bother screaming for help because I will punish you for each and every scream that you make, got that?" " Listen I don't know who you think I am but my name is Alex Cahill-Walker, not Dani. You had better release me now if you know what's good for you. Otherwise my husband will deal with you." McKee laughed at her then said " I know that your name is Alex. Hell I knew that when I took you from that hospital. As for that husband of your's, he's off in Houston and isn't going to be any help to you, now is he? Now get moving before I give you a taste of what's in store for you when I get you home."  
Alex refused to move so McKee raised his arm to hit her when Gage came over to them and said " Agent McKee this isn't your wife and even if it were your wife there is no way that I'm going to stand by and let you hit her. Now let her go." McKee ordered him " Officer Gage go back inside of that bar." When Gage didn't move McKee added " Your assignment is over with as of this moment. You know former officer Gage you really should of left here while you had a chance." McKee drew a gun and pointed it at Gage but it was kicked out of his hand by Walker who said " I'll take care of him you go back inside Alex."  
" Not on your life. I want him taken care of and I'm going to stay here and watch to see that he's taken care of." Walker turned to look at Alex and McKee attacked him. Walker rebuffed him and set about paying McKee back for what he had done to Alex. McKee soon began pleading for Walker to stop hitting him but Walker only stopped hitting McKee when he heard C.D.'s voice telling him " That's enough son. You don't need to be going to jail for killing him. Cordell why don't you see Alex to her office?" Walker released McKee and went to where Alex was standing. Alex asked her husband " Are you okay?"  
Walker nodded that he was okay and they got into Alex's minivan and drove off to the courthouse where Alex's office was. A short time later as Walker was leaving her office Captain Harland spotted him and questioned " Ranger Walker can you tell me why you're here when you're supposed to be in Houston? Also while you're doing that can you tell me why Special Agent McKee wants to press assault charges against you? How did he end up such a bloody mess? Did you have anything to do with it?"  
" That's a long story Captain Harland." Walker answered but Harland told him " I have all afternoon." Walker went back to Ranger headquarters with Harland. When Alex left her office to go to court Gage was there and he told her " I'm going to follow you around until you get home Mrs. Walker. I hope that you don't mind?"  
" That's fine by me Officer Gage and I'm sure that Walker would like that." Alex said to him.

Chapter Six

After hearing Walker's explanation for why he had beaten McKee Harland stared at him in disbelief for a few minutes then asked him " Walker how did McKee know that your wife was in the hospital with amnesia to begin with? Also what caused A.D.A. Cahill-Walker to lose her memory? And who was buried as her? We have to get the answers to these questions and it needs to be done fairly quickly. Now I don't like to pry into the private lives of the Ranger who work out of this office but has your wife ever told you why she ended up in the hospital with amnesia? Does she know who was driving her car when it wrecked into that bridge overpass abuttment?"  
Walker answered " Alex has never told me why she ended up in the hospital with amnesia, nor have I ever asked her. And as far as I know Alex doesn't know who was driving her car that day. As for McKee knowing she was there I have no idea but you'd better believe that I intend to find out the answer."  
Harland then said " Ranger Walker why don't you go talk to your wife while I handle finding out how McKee knew she was in the hospital with amnesia?" Walker realizing that his Captain was more or less ordering him to question Alex about that time replied " Captain Harland, Alex may not remember how she ended up in the hospital but if she does she'll file a report with this office and the D.A.'s office." Walker then left Harland's office and went to Alex's office where Gage was waiting outside her door. Gage said to him " Since you're here Walker I'll be taking off now."  
Walker went into Alex's private office and snuck up on her. When he grabbed her by her waist Alex let out a loud scream and quickly turned around to face him with her fingers ready to scratch his eyes out. Seeing that it was Walker Alex said to him " What were you thinking? Sneaking up on me like that? I almost clawed your eyes out."  
Walker pulled his wife into a hug as he told her " Alex relax he can never hurt you again." Alex removed herself from Walker's arms and moved away from him before saying " I'm not so sure about that. That man will be a threat to me until he's put behind bars."  
" About that. Harland wants to know if you remember how you ended up in the hospital with amnesia, do you?" Walker asked his wife who turned away from him so he went to Alex turned her back around to face him and said " Alex what's wrong? You know that anything you tell me about what happened then won't affect the way that I feel about you. So please tell me what's bothering you. I know something is really starting to bother you."  
" You do need to know what I've remembered from that time but I don't want to discuss it here. Can we go get the children and go home? After they're asleep we can talk about what happened then." Alex requested of Walker who led her out of her office.  
As they were going to the daycare center to get their children Walker and Alex were confronted by Olstead who asked them " Why did you beat McKee to a pulp Ranger Walker? Was it because your wife wishes that she were still living with him under a assumed name? Instead of with you? And you lady, why did you live with McKee then run off on him when he was just protecting you from your cheating, wife abusing husband Cordell Walker? Don't have anything to say, do you? What's the matter don't you want the truth to come out? Well guess what, it is if I have anything to say about it."  
Walker glared at Olstead while Alex answered in a frosty voice " The truth will come out because my husband and I will see to it. We will not allow McKee to get away with his lies any longer. I will be filing several charges against McKee. They include but are not limited to assault and battery, terroristic threats, kidnapping, obstruction of justice and also filing false reports with a local police department and the federal goverment. Now please get out of our way."  
Olstead didn't move so Walker told him " Move or I'll move you." Olstead stepped aside but told them " This isn't over with Ranger Walker. We will be filing charges too and they include but are not limited to interference with the judical system, impersonating a police officer for personal gain and last but not least, assault and battery on a federal agent."  
Later on that evening after the children were asleep Alex said to her husband " I need to tell you what I've remember but before I start I want your word that you won't take the children off of me because of it." Walker took her hands and looking Alex in the eyes vowed " There is nothing that you can do or say that would make me take our children off of you. You have my word."  
Alex answered " Okay." But before she could add anything else the doorbell rang so she told him " Answer it, we'll talk after whoever it is leaves. I need to think about how I'm going to tell you what I have to tell you anyhow."

Chapter Seven

Walker opened the door to find Trivette and Gage standing there. Trivette said " C.D. told me what happened earlier and I wanted to stop by and see if Alex is all right. Gage here needs a place to stay. After he tried to help Alex out Olstead removed him from the pilot program." Gage added " I'm headed back to Houston tomorrow but I need a place to stay tonight." Walker let them in and they went into the living room where Trivette asked " Alex how are you doing?"  
" Okay, I guess. Trivette I was just getting ready to tell Walker about some of the things that I've remembered. I'd like for you and Officer Gage to hear what I have to say. So will the two of you stay?"  
" Yes we will Alex." Trivette answered for the both of them so Alex began " That morning when I went to the garage to get my car there was a blonde haired woman having a verbal disagreement with a man in the parking lot of the garage. I didn't think much of it but I should have. I overheard her telling this man and I quote ' Don't go in there, I have a bad feeling about all of this.' The man shrugged off what the woman was saying and went into the garage. I also went into the garage to get my car and heard the first man saying something about being set-up to another man. When I said that I was there for my car they both shut up. I put my purse into the trunk of the car but kept my briefcase with me. As I was trying to leave the parking lot to enter traffic I heard a gun shot so I got out of my car and went back into the garage where the man from the parking lot was laying in a pool of blood. I took my briefcase with me because my cell phone was in it. When I went into the garage a man was standing over the man on the floor and he said something about a rat getting his. I dug my cell phone out of my briefcase to call for help as the man raised his gun at me. A voice behind me told him not to because he had plans for me. This voice behind me told the gunman to go finish off the rat's girlfriend, that he would take care of me. I threw my briefcase at the gunman and took off running to try and get into my car but the blond haired woman was speeding away in it. I was then pistol whipped by the gunman so I kicked him as hard as I could. I really tried to get away from them but the man who had been behind me smacked me in the back of the head with something and everything went black. I also have what I think is a memory but I'm not sure if it is real. The memory may have occured when I'm trying to come to from being hit on the back of the head. I hear a man say that since Bruce is dead they would be able to move several shipments before the F.B.I. would send someone else in undercover. Walker the reason that I'm not sure that the memory is real is because it's McKee's voice that I hear saying that and there's a major part of me that wants him to be the person leaking the information. If I were to file a report against him based on what may be a faulty memory it would be laughed at or dismissed because I have a good reason to despise him."  
Gage who had grown pale while Alex was explaining questioned her " What did Bruce look like? And the blonde haired woman that was with him. What did she look like?" Alex replied " From what I can remember Bruce had long stringy brown hair and hazel eyes, he was also skinny and kind of dirty. He also had a scar over his left eye that went up into his hairline. The blonde haired woman who was with him had hair about my length but it was pulled back in a pony tail. Why do you want to know what they looked like Gage?"  
" Because you may have witnessed the murder of my friend Bruce Murphy by the people he was investigating. The blonde haired woman who took off in your car could have been his contact, her name was Jenny Lind. Do you remember the name of the garage?" Gage said to Alex who told him " As a matter of fact I do because the name ryhmed, it was Debarge Garage. Was that where your friend was undercover?"  
After Gage nodded that it was Trivette asked " Now what do we do? Alex witnessed a murder but no one is going to believe her when she says that McKee was there and that he's involved with drug smuggling." Walker said " I know that Trivette so we're going to get the proof on McKee then see to it that he's arrested for what he's been doing. McKee must have thought he was in the clear when Alex had amnesia but he wanted to be sure so he convinced the hospital that she was his wife. I think that he had planned on getting Alex out of the hospital then getting rid of her before she remembered everything. Once he got her to his house and realized that she didn't remember him...well he got other ideas."  
Gage spoke up " If that's the case why would he have ever left her there alone? I mean he had to have known that you would take off at the first chance that you got. After all he had just abused you."  
" Ego for one plus he was counting on the fact that I was too scared to cross him and let's face it a lot of women who have been abused wouldn't dare think about taking off because the thought of being beaten again would keep them from seeking help. I have to tell you that there was a very large part of me that was terrified to cross him but there was another part of me that made me leave just as soon as I could. Walker one way or the other we have to get him. And I think we should start by seeing if this Jenny Lind is missing and if so why no one is looking for her. I mean there had to have been someone who would miss her." Alex said to them.  
Trivette agreed " I think that I can get some of my contacts to find out if she's alive and if she isn't why no one is looking for her. Also maybe we can have some D.N.A. tests performed on the body to see if it is the body of Jenny Lind. Alex can you have your father take care of that? He was in charge of what we all thought was your body." After Alex nodded yes that she would do that Trivette added " I think that I'll call my contacts when I get home, which is where I'm going now." Trivette left and Gage who was still upset told them " I'm going to turn in now."  
After Gage went into the guestroom Walker asked " Alex why did you think that I would take the children off of you for that?" Alex instead of answering him got up and headed for the steps. When Walker caught up to her she told him " I didn't tell them everything. There's something that I think only you should know."  
Walker nodded okay and they went into their bedroom where a nervous Alex blurted out " I betrayed you when I was at McKee's house." Walker tried to reassure her by saying " Alex you didn't know who you were or what you were doing. I understand, it's okay."  
Alex stared at him for a minute then asked " It's okay that I kissed another man? Are you crazy?" Walker said " Alex just tell me what happened. I promise you that no matter what you tell me I won't take the children away from you. You have to trust me honey."  
" I don't deserve you Cordell Walker. When we got to McKee's house I asked him where was I sleeping at and he told me that I would be sleeping with him like always. He then pulled me to him while saying that we were going to set the night on fire like we always did. So when he kissed me I kissed him back. I am so sorry." Alex was explaining when Walker broke in to question her " Alex are you telling me that you had sex with him?"  
" No. But at first I was willing to sleep with him. When we kissed again it didn't seem right to me so I told him that I was sorry but I wasn't going to have sex with him. McKee pulled me close again and forcibly kissed me but I shoved him away and told him no. It was then that he beat me for refusing to have sex with him. As he was beating me he told me that I had always been like that, playing hard to get at first. I fell to my knees and pleaded with him not to hit me anymore and he said that he would if I would be a dutiful wife. To stop him from hitting me anymore I agreed. As he was pulling me to my feet the doorbell rang. It was Gage and I asked him to help get me out of there but he didn't. After Gage left McKee slapped me around some more and then told me that since he was such a nice guy he would cut me a break. He then dragged me to a bedroom and locked me in it. The next day he told me that he would be leaving on a assignment again and that when he returned I had better be a dutiful wife so I kissed him to make him think I had learned my lesson and told him that I would be well-behaved when he returned, you know the rest. I'm so sorry Walker." Alex said as she began crying. Gathering her into his arms Walker stated " Alex you have nothing to be sorry for. You did not betray me. What you did was survive until you were able to come back to your family. I love you lady and that's never going to change."  
Alex removed herself from Walker's arms and told him " Walker while I was trying to survive when I fled that house I was really trying to find a reason to celebrate the fact that I was alive but it was hard to do that when I was always looking over my shoulder scared to death that he would find me and punish me."  
Walker vowed " Alex your living in fear is over with and I will give you a reason to celebrate life, got that?" Alex replied " Just the fact that you believe in me is cause for me to celebrate but not tonight if you don't mind."  
" Whenever you want to celebrate let me know. I'll be there." Walker teased Alex who answered " You're always there for me. I love you so much Cordell."

Chapter Eight

The next morning Alex asked her husband " Walker my briefcase that was with me in San Antonio, where did you put it? I mean it had to have been sent to you with my personal effects, right?" Walker answered " No it wasn't. Alex you said that the last time you saw it was in the Debarge Garage. After you were knocked out McKee most likely went through it and found out who you were."  
" I wonder if they threw it away because if they didn't maybe we can somehow get a search warrant and hopefully find it there. Although I'm willing to bet that if it's anywhere, it's at McKee's home. He's egotistical enough to hang on to it as a reminder of how smart he thinks that he is. But first things first, we have to prove that it was Jenny Lind buried as me then we have to prove that McKee filed false police reports. I'll have a friend of mine who works near San Antonio see if she can get copies of the police reports pertaining to my so-called fatal accident. My father is already working on getting copies of my medical records from when I was in that hospital with amnesia. If Mckee signed the release papers we have him on fraud. Is there anything else that you can think of that we need to do to get McKee?" Alex said to Walker who pulled her into a kiss then told her " That's what I love about you, you're always thinking like an A.D.A. Between us we will get the evidence against McKee and see to it that justice is served."  
Alex teased " I think that you did a pretty good job of serving your own brand of justice on that jerk yesterday." Then getting serious she added " Walker we still have to find out who's leaking the information about undercover assignments and while we have a good reason to believe that McKee's doing it in San Antonio there was also someone else doing it here. Maybe we should investigate Olstead too, he seems to be tied to McKee somehow." Walker kissed her again then said " Yes A.D.A. Cahill-Walker, we will investigate Olstead too." That earned Walker a kiss in return.  
Several weeks went by and Olstead was still demanding that assault charges be filed against Walker for the beating that he gave McKee but Captain Harland had a talk with the governor off the record and no assault charges were filed. Alex's friend came through with the police reports and it turned out that McKee had filed a report that stated he watched A.D.A. Cahill-Walker get into her car and speed away from the Debarge Garage. Gordan was able to obtain copies of the medical records from the San Antonio hospital. They stated that a Jane Doe had been found lying unresponsive in a alley near the Debarge Garage and was rushed by ambulance to the hospital for treatment. The discharge papers for the Jane Doe were signed by McKee. There was a copy of a notorized statement signed by McKee included in the medical records. It stated that the woman with amnesia currently known as Jane Doe was in fact his wife Danilee McKee. Trivette's contacts informed him that there was paperwork saying that Jenny Lind had quit her job but that no one could remember seeing her after that morning Murphy was killed. Based on those things they were able to get search warrants for the Debarge Garage and McKee's house. They were also able to get a secret wiretap on Olstead's phones and his computers. The warrant was served on the Debarge garage during which a shipment of drugs were found so they arrested the owner, Devin Debarge. After he made bail Debarge called up Olstead and told him that he had better get in touch with McKee and get him out of trouble. During the phone conversation Debarge said " If only McKee would have allowed me to kill that nosey A.D.A. that day. But no he had to go and kidnap her from the hospital because he had the hots for her. Where she never should have been in the first place. You know instead of dumping her in the alley we should have thrown her in the dumpster. That way she would have died without anyone the wiser. Listen good Olstead if I go down for smuggling drugs for McKee you and he are both going down too."  
" Just chill out will you? We have everything under control. The charges will be dropped against you. I promise. We have a federal prosecutor in our pockets, remember?" Olstead answered Debarge who after complaining for a while longer hung up the phone. Several hours later Olstead was getting ready to leave his office when Walker, Trivette and Phil Holland entered it. He asked " Holland why are those two Rangers with you?"  
Holland replied " They are here to arrest you on the behalf of the federal goverment. Gentlemen please arrest this man." Walker pulled out his handcuffs as Trivette read Olstead his rights. After the cuffs were secured Olstead said " I'll make a deal Holland. If you drop the charges against me I'll tell you who's been leaking the information on the undercover agents."  
Walker answered " Debarge already made us the same offer, thanks but no thanks. We already know that it was Mckee leaking the information in San Antonio and you doing it here. The federal prosecutor that was in your pockets has been arrested too." Olstead asked " But how did you know about the federal prosecutor? No one knew that other than the three of us." " Haven't you ever heard of wiretaps? We wiretapped you and all your communication devices. By the way Olstead should you and McKee ever cross paths again you really should tell him not to mess with Texas Rangers. If it wasn't for what he did to Alex we might have never be able to link him and you to the drug smuggling operation." Trivette said to Olstead who again tried to get a deal by saying " I can tell you who killed Bruce Murphy."  
Holland replied " We already know that Devin Debarge killed Bruce Murphy on McKee's orders and we also know that the woman who sped away from the garage in A.D.A. Cahill-Walker's car and plowed into that bridge abuttment was Jenny Lind. You know Agent Murphy's contact and not A.D.A. Cahill-Walker like McKee stated in an official police report."  
When McKee realized that he was about to be arrested for drug smuggling he grabbed a firearm and attempted to shoot himself but was stopped from doing so by Gage who was there to witness the arrest on behalf of his deceased friend. After he had kicked the gun away from McKee and the cuffs were slapped on Gage stepped back as Farley who had gone to San Antonio to make the arrest read McKee his rights.  
That night in their bedroom Alex looked over at her husband who was getting undressed to take his shower and told him " Honey I want to celebrate tonight. Care to help me with that?" Walker helped her with that.


End file.
